Stephen Lynch
Liberal
Democrat
House Representative
Massachusetts - District 8
Current Position: US House Representative MA-8
Running For: House Representative - District 8
Policy Positions
Economic Policy
- For federal takeover of more direct control over the MBTA to improve transit safety
- For continued federal funding and oversight to recover remains of POWs and missing service members from past conflicts
- Against the Trump administration's efforts to cut VA staffing and services
- For increased federal investment in infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and public transportation modernization
- For expanding broadband access, particularly in rural and underserved communities
- For the Moving Forward Act, investing in transportation, infrastructure, and clean energy initiatives, including zero-emission buses and pedestrian/cyclist safety improvements
- For federal receivership or greater federal oversight of the MBTA to address safety and management issues
- For protecting and expanding the Child Tax Credit to support families
Business & Labor
- For raising the minimum wage, equal pay, paid leave, and ensuring wealthy individuals and large corporations pay their fair share in taxes
- Against unfair trade deals that hurt American workers and ship jobs overseas; supports trade terms that protect environmental, consumer, and labor safeguards
- For strong worker protections, fair labor practices, and collective bargaining rights
- For the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act
- Against the bank bailout that rewarded banking executives without accountability
- For airline safety regulations, including studying airplane noise pollution and establishing COVID-19 safety guidelines for air travel
- For increasing consumer protections in the financial sector, including accurate credit reporting (Clarity In Credit Score Formation Act) and regulation of cryptocurrency
- For the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to increase financial industry transparency and accountability
- Against the 2008 bank bailout, citing lack of accountability for banking executives
- For developing a U.S. digital currency (electronic version of the dollar)
- For protecting the U.S. Postal Service from privatization and preserving 6-day mail delivery
- For repealing the USPS retiree health benefits prefunding mandate to stabilize its finances
- For robust pandemic relief funding to support USPS operations during COVID-19
- Against USPS operational changes under Postmaster General Louis DeJoy that led to mail delays and removal of sorting machines
Health Care
- For supporting veterans exposed to toxic hazards; co-authored the K2 Veterans Toxic Exposure Accountability Act
- For improving national pandemic preparedness; authored the Strategic National Stockpile Enhancement and Transparency Act
- For maintaining VA hospital services and against consolidation of VA hospitals
- Against the Affordable Care Act
Education
- For increasing Pell Grant awards, income-based student loan repayment plans, and expanding public service loan forgiveness
- For the Rebuilding America's School Act to fund safe, modern, and accessible school facilities
- For early childhood development programs including Head Start, Reach Out and Read, and child care development block grants
- For the Employer Participation in Repayment Act to help address student loan debt through tax-exempt employer assistance
- Against Trump administration's revocation of Harvard University sanctions/funding decisions
Environment
- For climate change action as an economic and national security priority; supports funding for climate resiliency measures, introduced the Climate Change National Security Strategy Act, supports improved vehicle fuel efficiency, renewable fuel use, alternative fuels, hybrid public transit vehicles, and municipal solar projects
- Against the siting of hazardous industrial facilities in residential areas; opposed the West Roxbury Lateral pipeline, fought to shut down the Weymouth natural gas compressor station, and blocked an asphalt plant siting in Boston
- For reforming FEMA flood maps to prevent unfair insurance premium increases for homeowners
Civil Rights
- For LGBTQ+ equality and anti-discrimination protections; co-sponsored the Equality Act, supported an amicus brief for LGBTQ+ civil rights protections, and received Human Rights Campaign endorsement
- For gender equity legislation including the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and the Equal Rights Amendment
- Against defunding Planned Parenthood and women's health organizations
- For expanding veterans' benefits, including educational benefits, housing assistance, veterans courts for addiction issues, coverage for toxic exposure, and health services for PTSD, suicide prevention, and Traumatic Brain Injuries
Voting Rights & Democracy
- For protecting mail-in voting rights
- For election security measures including legislation to ban deep fake audio, video, and photos in U.S. elections
- For expanding overseas and military voting access through electronic ballot submission (Digital Overseas Voting Act)
- Against Trump's executive order restricting mail-in ballots
Immigration & Foreign Affairs
- For declassifying quarterly progress reports on the war and reconstruction in Afghanistan to increase transparency
- Against U.S. military strikes on Iran, questioning the gains from involvement in the Iran conflict
- For providing aid to Ukraine
- Against Trump administration immigration policies and rhetoric
Public Safety
- For common sense gun control measures including universal background checks (covering gun shows, classified ads, and internet sales), extending the FBI background check review period from 3 to 10 days, banning gun purchases by individuals on the No-Fly list or with domestic violence restraining orders, and supporting 'red flag' laws via the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act
- For investigating and restricting the export of firearm silencers/suppressors
- For criminal justice reform and addressing racial disparities in government services; co-sponsored the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act